Kannon Statue of Peace

The Statue of Peace Kannon stands in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Naka Ward, Hiroshima City. This area was once a town called "Nakajima Honmachi," which was a bustling entertainment district until the early Showa period. Nakajima Honmachi disappeared when its buildings were destroyed by the atomic bombing, and after the war the area became Peace Memorial Park. The Statue of Peace Kannon was built to carry forward memories of the vanished town, to pray for the souls of the victims, and to express hopes for peace. The statue was erected on August 6, 1956, by the sculptor Hidezan Arai. In front of the statue is the "Nakajima Honmachi Atomic Bomb Reconstruction Map," created by surviving residents using their memories and aerial photographs. Looking at this map, you can sense how prosperous Nakajima Honmachi was before the war and how it was a place where people gathered. Peace Memorial Park has a rule that religious monuments should not be erected, but this statue was permitted because it was considered a work of art. The Statue of Peace Kannon is about a 6-minute walk south from Hiroshima Electric Railway "Genbaku Dome-mae" Station, near the Atomic Bomb Memorial Tower.